News about Mexico’s beaches has focused only on the dirty ones, which raised the question by a Mexico News Daily reader, which are the cleanest?

Among the 269 beaches tested by the health regulatory agency Cofepris, 268 were declared “safe for recreational use” because the samples collected contained less than the threshold of 200 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters of water.

(All 269 have since been declared safe after Cofepris changed its mind about Sayulita beach in Nayarit.)

The test results varied widely, from fewer than 10 coliforms to as high as 191.

Here, then, is the top-10 list of locations with Mexico’s cleanest beaches, all of which tested for fewer than 10 fecal coliforms:

1. El Cortéz, Los Faisanes, Burócratas, Dorado Ranch, Malecón, Bonita, Lindo México and Marina Resort beaches in San Felipe, Baja California.
2. Malecón de Loreto and Salinitas beaches in Loreto, Baja California Sur.
3. San Lorenzo and Bonita beaches in Campeche, Campeche.
4. Boca del Cielo and Puerto Arista beaches in Tonalá, Chiapas.
5. Nexpa, Maruata, El Faro de Bucerías, Las Brisas, San Juan de Alima and Pichilinguillo beaches in Aquila, Michoacán.
6. Las Casitas, Centro, Dzul-ha, Chankanaab, Rastas, Bonita, Caletita, San Martín and Chen Río beaches in Cozumel, Quintana Roo.
7. Playa Mahahual in Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo.
8. Altata and El Tambor beaches in Bahía de Altata Navolato, Sinaloa.
9. Playa Costa Azul in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
10. Playa Dzilam Bravo in Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatán.

Authorities warn that illnesses from contaminated sea water can come in the form of stomach flu, salmonella, cholera, swimmer’s ear, pink eye and skin and respiratory conditions, with symptoms such as fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, ear aches, headaches and irritation.

Source: Animal Político (sp)